That Was Then. This Is Now.

As a movie watcher, films that appeal to me have dramatically evolved in recent years. There was a time when you couldn’t have paid me to sit down and watch most Oscar-type films. As for independent films, I pretty much stayed away from them. My filmmaker brother would have to twist my arm to get me to watch an independent film in the old days. I was all about the big budget, summer blockbuster films for the most part. While my film tastes had already started transitioning from so many blockbusters, I would say Spider-Man 2 was a pivotal shift in my film viewing experiences.

Spider-Man 2 was a blockbuster film, but it was something different. It actually had a good story and good acting, which was far more interesting to me than the action and special effects. From Spider-Man 2 onward, I started measuring other blockbusters against it. If Spider-Man 2 could deliver an action film that was Oscar-worthy (in my opinion and other film critics), then others could do the same. Is it unfair to hold other blockbusters up to the greatness of Spider-Man 2? Yes, it is. Nevertheless, I started to expect more from blockbusters. When I didn’t get what I wanted, I started viewing fewer blockbusters and checked out the independent/Oscar-type films. (more…)